Nepal begin the final home series of their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign on 12 May at TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, with their ODI status and World Cup pathway hanging in the balance. The double-header tri-series against the USA and Scotland starts with Nepal opening against Scotland on Tuesday.
Nepal sit seventh in the table with 18 points from 24 matches and need at least eight wins from their remaining 12 fixtures to retain ODI status. They need 10 victories from those 12 to secure direct qualification for the ODI World Cup Qualifier, a tall order against the two teams above them, with the USA on 36 points and Scotland on 34.
Gulshan Jha said Nepal aims to earn eight points from the home series, a target that would keep the campaign alive heading into the final stretch. Nepal want four wins out of four in Kirtipur to climb the standings, and the setting matters: they have won all of their encounters against the USA and Scotland at TU Cricket Ground.
The numbers give Nepal reason for hope even if the margin for error has vanished. Their record against the USA is four wins, six losses and one tie, but both of their home meetings against the Americans have ended in Nepal’s favor. Against Scotland, Nepal have five wins and four losses overall, including two home victories. Last week, they built momentum by beating the UAE twice and Oman once to collect six points.
That run followed a familiar pattern for this side, with relief often arriving only after pressure has already tightened. Rohit Paudel said the squad will summon the spirit of their remarkable comeback, the same kind of response that carried Nepal through 2023, when they won 11 of 12 matches to secure ODI status and a World Cup Qualifier berth.
Nepal have also made one change to the squad, with Ishan Pandey replacing Basir Ahmed. Pandey made his T20I debut in 2019 but has never played an ODI, adding another layer of uncertainty to a series that will test depth as much as form. Sandeep Lamichhane remains Nepal’s main spin threat, while Sompal Kami, Karan KC and Nandan Yadav have chipped in with crucial spells when the side has needed control most.
The home record offers one clear comfort. Nepal have won all of their encounters against the USA and Scotland at TU Cricket Ground, and they will need that ground to hold its edge again if they are to turn a difficult month into a salvageable one. The task is simple to describe and hard to complete: beat the teams ahead of them, and do it now.
